Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of poor
posture. It takes a lot of energy to hold the body in any awkward
position, and, in turn, alters our breathing capacity which can be diminished
by up to 30%

Good posture is the correct alignment of body parts supported by
the right amount of muscle tension against gravity

A good postural position permits you to breathe better, and as a
result reduces fatigue and minimises other side-effects associated with bad
posture.

Good posture can also increase self confidence with one study
revealing that people adopting good posture not only display greater confidence
but have stronger belief in their own abilities than those with poor posture (5)

Correcting bad posture does take discipline, but there is no
doubt that the benefits are worth the effort.

Find out What Posture you are by visiting the United Chiropractic Associations website, which
also gives you some handy hints and tips to improve and maintain a healthy
posture:

Thursday, 1 May 2014

This month we have another squat for you - the last one in our series of squats. This squat is designed specifically to target a small muscle in the quadriceps (front of thigh) called the Vastus Medialis Oblique (VMO).

This muscle plays an important role in keeping the kneecap stable when you move, especially when;

walking up stairs

rising from sitting

jumping

cycling

skiing

This squat is performed with a soft ball between the knees which you gently squeeze to activate the muscle as you bend the knees.

The technique and form of the exercise is similar to the standard squat (see previous blog post) but you only want to bend down to a maximum of 45 degrees so as to only activate the specific muscle.

If you are suffering from knee pain and would like to see how we may be able to help you, please do contact us for more information or to book a free consultation.